ISIS Claims Responsibility for Attack on Berlin Christmas Market

Around 8 p.m. local time on Monday evening, a truck drove into Berlin's crowded Breitscheidplatz Christmas market, killing 12 and injuring around 50 others, according to Der Spiegel. On Tuesday, German officials released their chief suspect, opening up a nationwide search for an attacker that the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, claimed had acted behalf of the terror group, The New York Timesreports.

Video footage emerging from the scene shows several market stalls knocked over, and people on the ground. Eyewitnesses reported to Germany's Bild outlet that they heard a big bang, but nothing is known about the source of the pop. The truck that plowed through the crowds at around 40 miles per hour apparently jumped the curb via Kantstrasse Street before coming to a halt, with the driver fleeing the scene. A passenger was also found dead in the truck, which had Polish license plates.

Michael Müller, Berlin's mayor, rushed to the market, saying, “It’s terrible to see this scene. It’s exactly what we did not want to see in Berlin.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokeswoman said she had been in touch with Müller and her interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, writing on Twitter in German that they "mourn the dead and hope the many injured can be helped." Police have secured the area and the market has been closed, though a reference point for relatives has been set up.

In November, the U.S. State Department issued a travel alert for Europe, in which they asked American citizens to "exercise caution" at holiday-related festivals and events, including Christmas markets that draw large crowds and are typically popular tourist attractions.

With reporting by Betsy Blumenthal, Sebastian Modak, Laura Redman, and Meredith Carey. This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates.